Cartridge-shell.



No. 692,54. Patented Jan. 28,- I902.

' a. LAMMADIN & n. F. STONE.

CARTRIDGE SHELL.

(Application filed July 31, 1901.

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v UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE LAMMADIN AND DAVID E. STONE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY, OF BRIDGE- PORT,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CARTRIDGE-SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 692,1 54, datedJanuary 28, 1902. Application filed July 31, 1901. Serial No. 70,370-(No model.)

'10 (bZZ whom/it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE LAMMADIN and DAVID E. STONE, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Method of Fixing Priming inCartridge-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has for its object to provide means for fixing the primingin cartridgeshells, more especially rim-fire shells, using nitrated orsmokeless powders, so

called. It is of course well understood that in all rim-firecartridge-shells the priming is placed around the inner edge of the baseof the shell and is exploded by a blow upon the base of the shell at therim or edge thereof. Under ordinary conditions the detonation of thepriming is almost certain to take place upon the delivery on the rim ofthe shell of the blow of the firing-hammer.

however, owing to the elasticity of smokeless powder, to the fact thatit may not be packed closely in the shell, and, furthermore, to the factthat there has heretofore been no means of retaining the primingsecurely in place to meet the blow of the firing-hammer, that anoccasional shell in a large number'will failto explode under ordinaryfiring conditions, the

priming yielding and being displaced inward slightly, but Without beingdetonated. Our

invention overcomes this objection, so that any one of alarge number ofrim-fire cartridgeshells loaded with smokeless powder will be perfectlycertain to explode under ordinary firing conditions.

In order to accomplish the desired result, we fix the priming rigidly inplace by means of a retaining-cement having the properties of beingplastic while wet, of drying hard and firm, and of rapid defiagrationwhen ignited. These results require a mixture containing both carbon andoxygen in large proportions.

We wish it distinctly understood that our It is possible,

invention is not limited to any special compound or retaining-cement, asvarious conipounds will produce the desired result. In practice we haveexperienced perfectly satisfactory results from the use of a cement con-'sisting of approximately two parts chlorate of potash and one part ofstarch. The proportions of this compound may be varied to meet therequirements of use, and other organic compounds rich in carbon may besubstituted for starch-for example, fine sawdust or dextrin. o recommendthe use of starch, however, as when mixed with chlorate of potash insubstantially the proportions stated and wet with water it makes anadhesive paste which dries hard and remains firm and deflagrates rapidlywhen ignited. Should sawdust be used instead of starch, the compound maybe made more or less adhesive, as may be required by the useadditionally ofa small quantity of gum-tragacanth or gumarabic. In lieuof chlorate of potash picrate of ammonia or picrate of potash may beused mixedwith sawdust,or saltpeter may be mixed with gum-tragacanth orgum-arabic in the parts of two or three to one, or a slow nitroglycerincompound maybe used with the same general resultfor example, a smallpercentage of nitroglycerin mixed with infusorial earth or sawdust.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is an elevation of a loaded cartridge, the position of thepriming-retaining cement being indicated by a dotted line; and Fig. 2 isa section of a cartridge-shell, showing a rim-fire priming retained inplace by a cement.

1O denotes a cartridge-shell, 12 a rim-fire priminglying around the baseof the shell on the inner side, and 13 a layer of highly-inflammablecement by which the priming is securely retained in place, so that'itwill not yield to the blow of a firing-hammer, but

will be detonated or exploded thereby and will set fire to the cement,which is so highly a priming lying in the base thereof and a layer ofplastic, hard-drying and highly-in- I5 flammable cement molded in theshell over the priming by which the priming is retained in place anddeflagration thereof under firing conditions is rendered certain.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa- 2o tu res in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE LAMMADIN. DAVID F. STONE. lVitnesses:

HENRY C. RYLANDs, J. N. STANDISH;

